The making of collages is well known and involves the random placement of irregular shaped cut-outs of pictures, photographs, news headings and other graphic materials to create a "theme or story-board." The cut-outs are almost always handmade and without much regard for their individual shapes. These pieces are usually abutted to each other or are assembled together with irregular gaps between each piece. Modern day collages have advanced somewhat in sophistication through an expansion in available mediums and have become a largely recognized art form. However, the basic concept of construction with odd shaped ill fitting pieces to construct a "story board or theme" has not changed.
Puzzles differ from collages in that they are routinely constructed of precisely cut interlocking pieces that, when assembled, form a complete autogenous picture. Puzzles are generally constructed by stamping a single picture with a steel-rule die or using a continuous cutting saw, such as a jigsaw, to create varying numbers of interlocking puzzle pieces. Hand cutting of individual puzzle pieces is generally not employed, since it is more efficient to utilize die cutting or continuous cutting where the cutting motions that create the individual pieces simultaneously form the surrounding pieces, thus ensuring an exacting fit of the pieces. Only through creating the individual pieces with common separation lines to the surrounding pieces has it been possible to create the exacting shapes necessary to form interlocking pieces with enough circumferential intimacy so as not to detract from the quality of the picture when the puzzle is fully assembled.
More recent advances have resulted in the creation of intricate three dimensional puzzles (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,178,391 entitled "Three-Dimensional Jigsaw Puzzle") where the puzzle pieces when assembled form a three dimensional structure. Another advancement in the diversification of puzzles, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,295 entitled "Picture Puzzle Assembly", incorporates the use of a magnetic backing to allow the puzzle to be magnetically adhered to surfaces. However, as with conventional puzzles, these puzzles are made by die cutting or continuous saw-cutting the puzzle pieces from a single picture.
Hand-cutting of puzzle-shaped interlocking pieces from photographs and other graphic materials is currently possible through the use of scissors and other sharp cutting instruments by first drawing or tracing around a pre-existing puzzle piece. However, the accuracy of these methods is limited by the errors introduced during the sketching or transfer of the shape via tracing. The inaccuracies are further compounded by the errors introduced in attempting to cut the drawn or traced outline with scissors or other sharp instruments. Similarly, attempting to form an exact duplicate by cutting a photograph or other graphic material while it is firmly held against an existing puzzle piece is flawed, as clearances and allowances must be made for the thickness of the scissors blades or other sharp cutting surface while they cut against the edge of the puzzle piece. Again, this approach results in an ill-conforming finished part.